Moderated by Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, a doctoral graduate of Université Laval in astrophysics and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, the panel was presented by Université Laval and Intact Financial Corporation. It brought together people with degrees from different fields: Charles Brindamour, CEO of Intact Financial Corporation and actuarial science graduate, David Jeannette, senior consultant in information technology at Apple and doctor in physics, Guillaume Macaux, deputy director of the International Observatory on the Societal Impacts of AI and Digital Technology (OBVIA) and holder of a master’s degree in law, and Laurence Trottier, head of strategic partners at Instacart and graduate in administrative sciences.
The conclusion is unanimous, both on the side of Laval University and on that of businesses: artificial intelligence is here for good. “We have an important duty as a university to ensure that our students, our professors and all teaching staff are equipped and ready to flourish in a changing world that requires immense capacity. adaptation,” indicated the rector of Laval University, Sophie D’Amours, in her welcome address. For the panelists, the democratization of artificial intelligence, particularly with the explosion in the use of conversational agents like Chat GPT, offers a world of possibilities, but brings its share of challenges.
Issues to be addressed collectively
While everyone agrees on the importance of educating and training individuals for a healthy, ethical and critical use of artificial intelligence, the establishment of laws and guidelines leaves some panelists perplexed, particularly with the speed at which which the technology is deployed. “While we are discussing the issues and avenues for regulation, thousands of new AI models are launched daily. Yes, rules and guidelines, like Bill C-27 in Canada, must be put in place, but this will not be enough to effectively regulate AI,” says Mr. Brindamour, CEO of Intact. . For him, part of the solution lies in corporate accountability. “At Intact, for example, we have established an AI governance process to ensure that our models are integrity, secure, that they protect our customers and that they are based on scientific excellence. We also have platforms to evaluate results that may generate bias. Finally, we have appointed to our board of directors one of the pioneers in artificial intelligence research in North America, Stuart J. Russell, to guide us in establishing a rigorous governance framework. .
For David Jeannette, senior information technology consultant at Apple, choices will have to be made due to limited energy and resources. “We must ensure that technology and our efforts are directed towards what has the greatest impact on our society. Do we want artificial intelligence that allows us to take better photos with our phones or do we rather want AI that will allow us to make significant advances in health, for example?
Human resources management challenges are inevitable for Laurence Trottier, head of strategic partners at Instacart. “I see a significant divide emerging within companies between employees of different generations. Between those who use AI on a daily basis and those who stick to more traditional methods.”
For Guillaume Macaux, deputy director of OBVIA, education is the key to facing the challenges linked to AI. “We must not only train ourselves, in a professional context, to use AI well, but also, more broadly, be able, as citizens, to identify the moments when we are interacting with systems of “AI or AI-generated content.”
Asked about the impacts of AI in our universities, both on teaching techniques and on the quality of learning, the rector shared some of the approaches recommended by Laval University. “We continue to develop the critical thinking of our students. Based on what they learn in class, we can ask them to criticize the work of the AI, for example.” Laval University has also adopted guiding principles to govern the use of AI.
Cautious optimism
The potential and applications of artificial intelligence are almost endless. AI can play a crucial role in optimizing our resources, developing sustainable technologies, and analyzing massive amounts of data to help us make better decisions. Fight against climate change, global health, food security, several global issues could benefit from the accelerated progress caused by AI. “We must not restrict the development of AI. However, we must ensure that its development does not rely on a few big players and that its control is better distributed,” explains David Jeannette.
Invited to a cocktail following the panel, the graduates present were able to continue discussions and reconnect with former classmates and representatives of their alma mater. “The objective was to keep in touch with our graduates in the Toronto region,” says Caroline Girard, head of the Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Department. We are proud of their successes and their attachment to Laval University.”
